Gwinnett Park Life | Gwinnett County Parks

ADA Accessible Playgrounds in Gwinnett

Posted by admin on July 7, 2010  |  No Comments

Bogan Park has an ADA compliant and accessible playground. The surfacing is engineered wood fiber, which mats down so that wheelchairs can roll over it. There are concrete ramps which go into the surfacing somewhat like a boat ramp into a lake. This avoids having a lip (and bump) at the end of the sidewalk. The playgrounds include several activity panels suitable for handicapped children, such as drums, store front & hand cycler. Several bridges, climbers and slides can be accessed from transfer platforms. These are for children who can pull themselves out of their wheelchair and onto the deck.

In addition to Bogan Park, the county has handicap accessible playgrounds at Duncan Creek Park in Dacula and Peachtree Ridge Park in Suwanee, as well as Unity Place at Bay Creek Park, located in Loganville which is an award winning, fully accessible playground for special needs featuring a specialized rubberized surface, wheelchair friendly slides, swings and a handicapped accessible ball field.

Gwinnett County Parks & Recreation is also excited to announce that it will begin to offer a Therapeutic Recreation Program in Fall 2010. This will not replace the county’s Inclusion Based Programming, which continues to be extremely successful in the county’s Day Camp and class programming.  But it will give citizens an option to choose which type of programming is best for their child or family member.

Please check the Gwinnett County Parks website for more information on this exciting program and specific information about each park.

The comments above were provided in response to a county resident and their need for ADA compliant and accessible playgrounds. I want to thank the county parks people for their quick and detailed response to the inquiry forwarded by me in regard to a reader’s question.

City of Sugar Hill Spring Youth Athletics

Posted by admin on February 23, 2010  |  No Comments

Coed Flag Football: (Program Sold Out last Spring, Do not delay)
Dates: Sunday Afternoons, Feb 28 – May 23 (No Games Spring break or Mothers’ Day)
Location: Gary Pirkle Park Synthetic Turf Field (6195 Austin Garner Rd Sugar Hill 30518)
Practices and Game times are between 1:00 – 6:00pm (2 hrs per player)
Kids Ages 4 -14
Registration includes: Reversible Jersey, flag belt, medal, and trophy
Practices and Games are the same day – (No Weekday commitment)

Spring Coed T-Ball & Baseball: (Program Sold Out last Spring, Do not delay)
Dates: Saturdays, Feb 27 – May 22 (No Games Spring break)
Location: EE Robinson Park (Just north of 939 Level Creek rd Sugar Hill 30518)
Practices and Game times are between 9:00am – 3:00pm (1-1.5 hrs per player)
T-Ball Division – Kids (Grades PreK 3 – 1st) – depending on experience
Modified Coach Pitch – Kids (Grades 1st – 3rd) – depending on experience
Coach Pitch Division – Kids (Grades 3rd – 6th) – depending on experience
Registration includes: Baseball Hat & Jersey, medal, and trophy
Practices and Games are the same day – (No Weekday commitment)

Spring Coed Instructional Lacrosse: (Learn the FUNdamentals)
Dates: Saturdays, March 13 – May 22 (No Games Spring break)
Location: Gary Pirkle Park Synthetic Turf Field (6195 Austin Garner Rd Sugar Hill 30518)
Practices and Game times are between 2:00 – 5:00pm (2 hrs per player)
Kids Ages 8 – 14
Player is required to have mouthpiece, eye protection and lacrosse stick. We have helmets that can be
borrowed (limited supply)
Registration includes: Reversible Jersey and participation trophy
Practices and Games are the same day – (No Weekday commitment)
Adaptive Sports Program (Children with Special Needs)
Dates: Saturdays, March 20 – May 23 (No Games Spring break)
9:00am-12:00pm (45 mins – 1 hr per player)
Location: Gary Pirkle Park or EE Robinson Park
Kids Ages 3 – 14
Registration includes: Reversible Jersey and participation trophy
(No Weekday commitment)
Little Tykes Program (Winter & Spring Sessions)
Dates: Tuesdays, March 16 – May 18 (No Activities Spring break)
10:00 – 11:00am (45 mins – 1 hr per player)
Location: Sugar Hill Community Center (Winter), Gary Pirkle Park or EE Robinson Park (Spring)
Kids Ages 3 – 4
Min of 5 participants, Max of 10
Registration includes: T-shirt, water bottle, and misc. prizes

For questions please contact the Recreation Department at 770-831-7413

Power Soccer Regional Tournament

Posted by admin on February 19, 2010  |  No Comments

Cheer on soccer athletes at an exciting power wheelchair sports competition Fri., March 12 through Sun., March 14 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Lucky Shoals Park in Gwinnett County.

Royalty Power Soccer and Gwinnett County Parks & Recreation will co-host the United States Power Soccer Associations (USPSA), 2010 Division II Eastern Regional Tournament. The USPSA is the governing body of the sport of power soccer. This event is the qualifying tournament for the top three teams to attend the National Competition held in June. The winner of this tournament will hold the title of 2010 Eastern Regional DII Champions.

Tournament games begin every hour and are free for the public to attend. To find out more about this event and Power Soccer, visit www.royaltypowersoccer.com.

Lucky Shoals Park is located at 4651 Britt Road, Norcross, Ga. For more information on Gwinnett County Parks & Recreation, visit www.gwinnettparks.com

Seven Gwinnett Athletes Win 17 Medals At Special Olympics Horse Show in Perry

Posted by admin on November 17, 2009  |  No Comments

For the sixth consecutive year, Parkwood Farms Therapy Center led the Gwinnett team of special equestrians to the Special Olympics of Georgia Horse Show in Perry, Ga. This year’s show, Nov. 13 – 15, was among the most successful for the Gwinnett team. Seven athletes riding three exceptional horses won 17 medals in the 28 classes entered. But most importantly, the athletes had a great time with their friends, families and the 20 generous volunteers who made the three-day trek.

The Gwinnett team participated in both riding and showmanship competitions. “We are so proud of our athletes,” said Parkwood Farms founder and CEO Dr. Marilyn Peterson. “They practiced hard on their patterns, but riding for the judges in the large arenas can test everyone’s nerves.”

The show requires an enormous amount of planning and effort. That work is done by volunteers, under the supervision of Dr. Peterson. Volunteers practice with athletes and, in most cases, walk within inches from the rider during competitions. Some of the athletes require three volunteers to be present during each ride. The volunteers also care for horses, drive trailers and provide logistical support. “We’re grateful for the Georgia Special Olympics organization- their fundraising and their volunteers, but we could not field a team from Gwinnett each year without our own homegrown volunteers, who work directly with our athletes and our horses,” said Dr. Peterson. “The parents of our special athletes appreciate how much these volunteers enrich the children’s lives both at Special Olympics and during their therapeutic riding sessions at Parkwood Farms.”

Parkwood Farms Therapy Center, Inc. is a multi-discipline therapy center located in Snellville, Ga. In addition to our signature equestrian-based therapies, Parkwood Farms offers non-traditional therapies, such as Chiropractic and Bio-medical nutritional counseling, mild Hyperbaric Oxygen therapy, Far Infrared Sauna, and other services in a clinical setting with a spa-like atmosphere. More details are available at www.parkwoodfarms.org.

Click on the photo to enlarge

Skate complex and other fun amenities now open at Bay Creek Park

Posted by admin on June 9, 2009  |  3 Comments

Bay Creek Skate Park (Scott Crawfoord - Photo by Nick Scott)

Gwinnett County Parks & Recreation recently completed construction on new fun amenities at Bay Creek Park, including a 20,000 sq. ft. skate complex, four lighted tennis courts, two lighted basketball courts, a sand volleyball court, a third  playground and a pavilion.

According to Nick Scott of AtlantaSkater.com “Gwinnett County doesn’t fence in their parks. Gwinnett is kicking **s, with eight more parks on the books. Bay Creek is the first Pillar Design park in the area. The others are Wally Hollyday and Site design. Settles Bridge is a Wally Hollyday that was  changed a little, for the better, by California Skateparks and it should be open in a couple of months.” Check out their YouTube channel. We’ve also posted some photos from Nick Scott. Check out their site at atlskater.com

Bay Creek Skate Park (Chris Coffman - Photo by Nick Scott)

The 153-acre park, which opened in 2004, is home to Gwinnett’s first special needs ball field and playground, Unity Place, and also features seven baseball/softball fields, a football field with lighted track and concession building, and a one-mile of paved multi-purpose trails.

Unity Place was funded through a partnership between the Parks & Recreation department, the Grayson Athletic Association and ten Gwinnett-area rotary clubs. The playground features a special rubberized surface with wheelchair-friendly slides and swings.  The handicapped-accessible ball field, complete with wheelchair and walker accessible dugouts, is also constructed with a similar surface. The Special Populations Program offers programs for special needs children and young adults so that they can join in with other children in sports such as baseball, softball, cheerleading and basketball.

Funding for the Bay Creek Park expansion was made possible through the

Bay Creek Skate Park (Freddy - Photo by Ken Forsyth)

Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) and totaled $3.6 million in design and construction costs. The park expansion was designed by Jordan Jones & Goulding, Inc., construction was managed by Moreland Altobelli, Inc. and the contractor for the project was Reliant Construction Co.
This one-of-a-kind park is located at 175 Ozora Rd. in Loganville, just east of Grayson Hwy.. For more information, call 770.822.8840 or visit www.gwinnettparks.com.

COMPANIES RALLY AGAIN TO ACCEPT THIS YEAR’S “CHALLENGE”

Posted by admin on April 14, 2009  |  No Comments

Laser tag is just one of 12 activities that companies and organizations will compete in during the 2009 Gwinnett Parks Foundation Corporate Challenge.

A big draw for those looking to have fun and compete in both mentally and physically challenging activities, the Gwinnett Parks Foundation Corporate Challenge has attracted some of the top companies in Gwinnett over the past 10 years, raising more than $160,000 toward recreation scholarships. Returning teams so far this year include Agco, Auto Owners Insurance, Brand Mortgage Group, Cisco, Gwinnett County Government employees, Gwinnett County Police, Gwinnett Daily Post and WIKA, with commitments from many more teams.

This year the Challenge has been changed up a little to allow smaller companies and organizations to enter. “Some companies were unable to compete in all 12 activities and really wanted to be involved, so we created other levels that just include 3-4 activities with a lower entry fee,” said John Register, the Team Liaison for the Challenge. Now offered are the Corporate Cup (which allows team entry into all activities), the Leisure Cup, Team Cup, and Grand Slam Cup. A Gwinnett Corporate Challenge 5K Run will be held Sept. 19 and is open to all ages.

The Challenge runs from June through September and includes competitions in basketball, billiards, bowling, disc golf, golf, kickball, laser tag, sand volleyball, table tennis, tennis, trivia game night and a 5K Run.
“Teams really love to go for the gold each year,” said Peggy Levengood, President of the Gwinnett Parks Foundation. “They have a lot of fun competing against one another, while at the same time knowing they are helping to raise money for a great cause. We always welcome new companies and we have a few companies that combine together to form one team and companies where the employees pool their money together to pay the team entry fee. Once they get started they catch ‘going for the gold’ fever too!” Monies raised from the Gwinnett Parks Foundation Corporate Challenge allow children and senior citizens an opportunity to participate in summer camps, swim lessons and other recreation classes who may not have been financially able to do so.

Those wanting to find out how they too can become involved in the Challenge are invited to attend an informational Jump-Start Kickoff Meeting on Tues., April 28 at 6 p.m. at Rhodes Jordan Park Community Recreation Center, 100 E. Crogan St. in Lawrenceville. An early-bird special for the Corporate Cup level runs through April 30, giving companies $100 off the entry fee. The final sign-up date for all cup levels is May 20. For more information visit www.gwinnettparks.com or call John Register at 770-822-5454.

Special Need Parks in Gwinnett

Posted by admin on February 9, 2009  |  No Comments